Love At An Alarming Rate
by Writer432
Summary: "Why are we all standing around in our minimal pajamas at three in the morning you ask? Because some imbecile decided to pull the fire alarm, that's why." Percabeth AU. Thank you Forever-Fangirl-PJO-HP for the brilliant title! And it's also dedicated to her.
1. Chapter 1

**Dedicated to Forever-Fangirl-PJO-HP because we were supposed to write this together but I took control, oops. Sorry, chica!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson series.**

**Blood of Olympus spoilers**

**Annabeth's POV:**

I rake a hand through my snarled hair, giving a sigh of irritation. My pajamas barely cover me, and the frosty November air isn't helping me stay warm. Around me my neighbors stand impatiently, a few wrapped in duvets and blankets, while others like me stand shivering in our minimal pajamas. Some warning would have been nice, I would have gone to bed in more then shorts and a tank top.

Why are we all gathered here in pajamas and wrapped in blankets you ask? Because some imbecile pulled the fire alarm. At three in the morning. Needless to say I've been in better moods.

The only thing I find slightly amusing about this situation is that the man next to me is wearing Spondebob boxers. Just the boxers. But I'm not complaining, he has a nice body. Not that I'm checking him out or anything. That would imply I'm attracted to him, and I can just tell by the choice of, ahem, sleepwear we are very different. Who watches SpongeBob past age seven?

He seems to be arguing with a shorter boy, who looks a few years younger and is one of the blanket burrito people. Their disagreement is quite loud, so even though I'm ten feet away I can hear what they are saying loud and clear.

"C'mon, Nico, can you please share? I'm standing around in my boxers like an idiot!" He complains, turning just enough so the moonlight reflects off his dark hair and bronze skin. My breath catches in my throat as I manage to get a glimpse of his face. He's handsome, I'll give him that.

"No, this is what you get for wearing almost nothing to bed." The smaller boy, Nico, stuck his tongue out before looping the covers over his head.

"Please? We're cousins for crying out loud! Cousins are supposed to help each other!" Boxers pouted, wrapping his arms around his torso. His back muscles flex and I force my eyes to look away, I was taught not to stare growing up after all, and I've been watching them way longer then it's polite to. But that doesn't include listening.

"Just like you helped me when you threatened Will with decapitation before our first date?" Nico asks, picking at a loose string on his blanket.

"Oh come on, I was just looking out for you!" Percy shouts in exasperation, throwing his hands in the air.

"Mhm, likely story." Nico waddles away, going to converse with some other resident in our building. It looks like a blonde boy, maybe a year or two older then Nico, who is dressed in sweatpants and a thin t-shirt. Nico shares the duvet immediately, much to Percy's disbelief.

"Figures, you care more if your precious Will gets a cold while your cousin is CLOSE TO DYING OF HYPOTHERMIA!" Boxers shouts the end of the sentence, earning quite a few strange looks.

Rubbing some feeling into my arms I repress a giggle. I must not do a very good job because he gives me a lopsided smile.

"Cousins, they're such divas." He rolls his eyes, walking over to me. "Hey, I'm Percy." He holds out his hand to shake.

"Annabeth."

"That's a pretty unusual name." He comments, but it isn't rude, he says it like it's just an observation.

"So is Percy." I shrug, relishing in the warm smile he gives me.

"I like you." Percy chuckles.

"Thanks, I like me too." It pops out of my mouth before I was able to filter it, reply with the socially acceptable thank you. Percy roars with laughter, grabbing my shoulder to keep himself upright.

"You," he says, wipping away a tear in the corner of his eye, "are gold."

"Most people say silver suits me better." I answer, shrugging. Mystified, Percy shakes his head and squeezes my shoulder.

"You're perfect." I swallow the sarcastic comment perched on the edge of my lips, flushing a deep red I can feel in my bones.

"Thanks." I mumble.

* * *

><p>The screeching of our buildings fire alarm blares though the halls, waking me from my slumber. I moan, rolling out of bed and jamming my feet into my slippers before tossing a spare blanket over my shoulders. Stumbling down the hall in a half awake stupor I manage to get outside in one piece.<p>

Dry, December air assaults me, and in defense I transform into a burrito blanket person with the blanket I took off the couch and try to keep warm. It doesn't take long for me to recognize Percy in his underwear, shivering and pleading with Nico.

"Save your breath, Aquaman, there is no way I'm sharing with you." _Aquaman?_

"Please? I'm going to die of hypothermia!-"

"You say that every time." Nico interrupts, but Percy carries on yelling.

- and then where would you be?" He concludes, oblivious to Nico's sarcastic comment.

"With more living space." Nico replies cooly, picking underneath his nails. Percy buffs indignantly, sneezing quickly after.

"T-t-the s-symptoms are already s-starting to s-set in." Percy tries, forcing himself to shiver. You can tell from the too jerky motions of his limbs and the exaggerated chattering of his teeth. I roll my eyes, deciding I should step in before Percy tries for act again.

"Hey, Percy, want to share?" I gesture to the blanket fit snugly over my shoulders.

"Yes! Thank you!" He practically runs over to me, worming his way into the blanket. His skin is hot against mine, like he is directly from the Sun itself. We are pressed shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh, in an effort to keep warm. Snow starts to fall softly, and a few catch in my eyelashes. A few land softly on my cheeks, and the wind picks up, causing my mess of a head of hair to fly all over the place, the majority falling in my eyes.

"You have a little..." Percy delicately pushes them out of my eyes, nodding in approval once he has pulled all the stray curls away.

"Thanks." I breathe, and someone wolf whistles in the background.

"Shut up, Nico." Percy mutters, and I chuckle silently.

* * *

><p>The shrill noise of the fire alarm is becoming annoyingly familiar.<p>

Groaning I get out of bed, once again half awake as I put on my slippers and then swipe a couple blankets from the back of the couch. Stomping down the hall in a fit of anger, I weave through the group of neighbors gathered near the entrance until my close to fully naked friend comes into view.

I swing the blanket over his shoulder and continue on my way, stopping when I get to a deserted patch of grass half a block from everyone else. Frost crinkles beneath my feet, soaking the toes of my slippers. The parking lot rests a few yards away, the vehicles shadows in the night. My only source of light is the lamppost flickering weakly near the curb. I hear ragged breathing, and turn to discover Percy was following me the entire way.

"Hey, what seems to be the rush?" He calls when only a small distance is between us. I can feel all the anger in me building, begging to be let out. By the time he's right in front of me I'm seething mad and ready to yell. But then... I see his flushed cheeks surrounded by a mused head of hair and worried eyes. The blanket I rudely threw over his shoulder surrounds his torso, this time he has sweatpants on, something I missed as I stomped away.

"One month. I would just like one month without this stupid alarm going off." I glare at the ground, grinding my molars in frustration.

"I don't." Percy states blatantly, his unabashed manner startling me into looking him in the eyes.

"Why?" I ask, confused as to why he wouldn't enjoy a full nights rest.

"Because it's the only time I see you. Didn't you notice? We've only spoken three times these last few months, all in the middle of the night during a fire alarm." Percy cocks his head to the side, a conflicted look crossing his face. "You didn't even..."

He sucks in a deep breath, pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders. His bronze shin listens in the light provided by the lamppost, his eyes casting a dark shadow along his cheeks. He looks ghostly, and I force myself to look away before I make a fool of myself and say something stupid like 'You're beautiful.' Boys don't like being called beautiful, it's often deemed a feminine quality, but right now there is no doubt in my mind that Percy is beautiful.

"Percy." I plead softly, making my way over to him. It's rather difficult with my own blanket pulled so tightly around myself it's almost a second layer of skin.

"I- I have to go. Nico... Nico will worry. Here's your blanket, Annabeth. See you next month." He deposits the damp throw blanket over my arm, keeping his head down as he turns away. I hear him mutter about being so stupid, too gullible. The words I crave to scream get stuck in my throat, clogging my windpipe. I only manage a weak cry, one that sounds desperate, like a dying animal on its last breath. I swallow the lump in my throat, and try to speak again in hopes that this time the results won't be so futile.

"Of course I noticed..." I whisper to the night air.

But it's too late, he's gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys, look it's my second AU this week! Except this one might be continued, so far the only thing I have written is absolutely crap. (Who am I kidding I'm continuing even though the writing is crap) Okay, so tell me what you think in a review, surely you have an opinion on it.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Part two has arrived!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson series.**

**Annabeth's POV:**

What I am about to do is reckless, and idiotic, and just screams immaturity. I've never been one to chase boys, especially ones who I don't know their last name! He could be a murderer for all I know! Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, I can't see Percy swatting a mosquito, let alone killing someone.

I flex my fingers on the handle, the label warning me to pull in case of an emergency. I know it's extreme, this hardly counts as an emergency, I could just go to his house instead of wake up our entire building. The only problem is I don't want to seem like I'm creepy, people are very wary these days about giving out personal information. I sigh, rubbing my eyelids tiredly. I know I'll regret this tomorrow, but right now I'm sleep deprived and couldn't care less.

The cameras lining the hallway all keep an eye on me, and I pray no one is watching me because I could get in enormous trouble for what I'm about to do.

Regardless of the consequences, I feel like this is through right thing to God. So I do it. I pull the fire alarm at three in the morning, like an imbecile.

Instantly lights are flashing, sirens screaming, doors slamming, and people grumbling. They amble toward the stairs, yawning and leaning against each other for support. I feel a tad bit guilty for disrupting their sleep, but push away the guilt and slip through the crowd, taking watch near the door for my ebony haired target. I almost don't recognise him, with sweatpants and a duvet on. He is waddling beside Nico, a somewhat awake expression on his face. Nico on the other hand has his eyes closed and looks seconds away from toppling over. Thankfully the blonde boy, if I remember correctly his name is Will, catches him, laughing at the sleepy smile Nico gives him.

I tear my eyes away from the scene, catching sight of Percy out of the corner of my eye. I jog to catch up to him, tapping his shoulder lightly while saying his name.

"Percy." I state firmly, watching him stiffen. He stops in his tracks, staring at me in surprise.

"Annabeth? What are you-" He shakes his head in wonderment, staring at me a few moments too long before blushing and scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Come with me." I say quietly, Hopeing he'll accept my invitation.

"But I... Why should I?" Percy's lost expression hardens into resolve. He shakes his head sharply once before marching off the the opposite direction.

"Percy, please, I need to talk to you!" I beg, trying to catch up to him.

"I said no, now leave me alone." Percy doesn't even glance my way, he just keeps walking.

"_Percy come with me this instant!" _I clench my fists at my sides, leaning forward slightly in a vain effort to project my words farther. I'm fed up with being ignored, and I no longer care about being nice, he dropped that façade a long time ago.

The crowd milling about stops, strangers eyeing the hysterical blonde screaming at the dark haired man wrapped in a deep blue blanket. My sudden burst of anger slowly ebbs away, leaving me weary and vaguely agitated.

"Percy, please." I beg, closing my eyes and massaging my forehead. My tone publicized how exhausted I was, painting me to be comparable to a small child after they throw a tantrum.

"Why should I? You don't... You don't care, Annabeth!" His growing frustrationwith me catches me by surprise. I didn't know someone so kind, so sweet, could conjure up some negative emotion that intense.

"I... Percy, please, this is a private conversation. This is not the place to be discussing what we are." I gesture to the people who stare openly, faces void of shame. They all hastily look away, aware they were caught red handed.

"What we are is done. This conversation is over." He spits on the cement before turning to leave, his shoulders tensed up.

I watch, a sick feeling coiling in my stomach. I can't watch him go again, not two nights in a row. A nauseating amount of courage strikes a chord in my veins, and words fly from my mouth, all unplanned.

"When I first saw you I refused to admit to myself you were attractive, because I've never been the type of girl to go after a boy in SpongeBob boxers. Your skin looked bronze that first night in the moonlight, and the moon caught your hair just right so your entire head was lit up. I eavesdropped on your conversation with your cousin shamelessly, and couldn't control my laughter at your dramatics, which is how you caught me. I didn't mean to seem so snarky, but I was, and you enjoyed it. You are the first friend I've made since moving here, and I was already falling in love with you." A bittersweet smile transforms into a grimace on my lips. The startled residents watch with rapt attention, eyes glued to us like we are some kind of sitcom or something. Normally this kind of attention would freak me out, but somehow in the night I become braver, more sure of my opinions. So I keep talking.

"The second time I saw you I was relieved and ecstatic all at once, a friendly face in far less ridiculous outdoor wear. Green boxers as opposed to SpongeBob ones. You were still trying to worm your way into a shared blanket with Nico, once again mentioning hypothermia. But I couldn't just let you stand out in the cold so instead we shared my blanket, and I can point out every spot our skin made contact." I demonstrate by running a finger down my forearm and bicep, skipping some spots where we didn't touch. My finger trails down my side, grazing most of my leg. I can feel all the eyes watching me, and I pray Percy's are, because I'm not making a complete idiot of myself only to be ignored.

"The third time I saw you I was cranky and down right pissed at the world. And yet I still brought you a blanket, because I knew you didn't have the common sense to put anything on. You followed me when I stormed off, thank you for that. But left after I told you I hated these fire alarm wake-up calls. You thought I meant it personally, but you were so wrong. Percy, right before you left I realized you were beautiful. I realized that everything about you is beautiful. I could never hate you. Yesterday night, when I was alone, I stood in the snow for hours, _hours, _hoping you would return and too numb to feel anything else. So don't you dare tell me I don't care, Percy, when I already care far too much."

Mouths are dropped open everywhere I look, eyes bugging out of their sockets. Everything is silent, except for the wails of a small child. Percy looks taken aback, his expression one of someone who learned too much in a short amount of time. The sad smile I seem to wear too often graces my lips before I take a deep breath and begin my closing statement.

"That's all I have to say." I mutter, turning away to the shadows. The biting wind seems to overwhelm me at once, the warm reassurance of my confidence leaving me. Goosebumps rise on my arms, the sweat at my hairline freezing with no adrenaline to feed it. My body is wracked with cold, my teeth automatically begin to chatter and my body is shivering severely. I must look pitiful, lost amid the endless crowd of people, who no doubt heard my ranting confession.

"Annabeth, wait, I... I'm sorry, okay, I had no clue." Percy's voice sounds slightly broken, like he's seconds away from shattering.

"It's okay." I say softly. Then I leave, this time without turning back.

* * *

><p>A sharp rap on my door startled me awake. Groggy, I stumble out of bed to my front door, fumbling with the lock. I throw the door open once I undo the deadbolt, blinking in surprise at the fully clothed man at my door.<p>

"Percy? What are you doing here?" I mumble, yawning widely. It's been a week and three days since I made a complete fool of myself at the Fire Alarm Incident and no one seems to be forgetting my confessions. Every time I leave my apartment I get worried looks and quite a few sympathetic ones.

"I wanted to talk to you." He states simply. I lean against the door frame, closing my eyes, completely worn out.

"It's in the middle of the night..." I trail off, feeling like I'm moments away from falling asleep, even though I'm standing up. I start to feel myself tip, but in a flash catch myself.

"I thought we should keep up the tradition." He gives me a shy smile, and I realize his smiles have so many different forms. And I crave to know every single one of them.

"Well, come in then, I guess. I'm gonna make a pot of coffee, do you want some?" I usher him inside, locking the door behind him. He stands awkwardly, observing my apartment. I try to look at it through his eyes, one giant open room with a kitchen tucked in the far left corner. My walls decorated with pictures of famous buildings, and the wall above my desk, which is wedged in the corner to our right, covered with pictures of me and friends from back home in California and a few from when we lived in Virginia. Books are lying all over the place, half of them with bookmarks still in them. My sink is clean of dishes, thankfully I had enough sense to wash the dishes before going to bed.

I shuffle over to the kitchen, pulling out two mugs. Both are slightly cracked and caked in chips, but they are by far my favorite. One depicts pictures from our family trip across Europe last summer, and the other has two identical pairs of hand prints with "WE LOVE YOU ANNIE" scrawled in messy, little kid writing. A going away present from Mattew and Bobby.

"Actually, I don't care for coffee much." Percy says, leaning against the breakfast bar. A book lies near his elbow and he scans the back cover quickly before looking back up at me. I blush, promptly setting myself to work.

"Okay, how about hot chocolate?" I suggest, searching through my cluttered cabinets.

"Yes please!" Percy nods his head eagerly, a childish grin on his face. It's endearing, in a strange way, but then again, almost everything Percy does is endearing.

I get right to work, warming the water and searching for my marshmallows, because it's not hot chocolate without them. I find the box of hot chocolate packets stuffed in the corner of the bottom shelf, the box caving in as the food around it takes up too much room. I hum under my breath as I work.

A few minutes later two steaming mugs are placed in front of us as we let them cool, lounging on the couch.

"So, why'd you come and wake me up?" I ask, sipping tentatively at my sweet drink. It scalds my tongue, burning the back of my throat as I hastily swallow. My eyes water slightly as I gasp for breath.

"Are you alright?" Percy's eyebrows bunch together, causing a crease to form on his forehead.

"It's hot!" I rasp, setting my mug down quickly.

"Well it is called _hot _chocolate. It's kinda in the name." Percy mocks me, taking a sip of his own. I wait a few seconds before getting my expected reaction."Holy crap, that is hot!"

"I could have told you that. Now, I'm done being patient, why are you here?" I know I sound a bit rude, but I have every right to be, it's almost two in the flipping morning, it's not like I invited him over at this time.

"I, um... You see I've been... I've... I'm sorry, okay? For the way I acted." His stutters cues me in to that he probably wasn't excepting to come over, he probably built up an insane amount of courage before coming over. I pat his knee awkwardly, giving him a half smile.

"Apology accepted." I respond formally, straightening our mugs on the table. "Is that all?"

"No, I- Annabeth, is it really true? All those things you noticed, about caring too much, is it all true?" He asks, a glint of hope sparkling in his eyes.

"Of course, I wouldn't just make it up. Why would you-" he cuts me off, his lips smashing in to mine. I give a startled squeak, but he doesn't move, his eyes shut tightly as he kisses me. _Oh God, he's_ kissing _me._ I panic, freezing in place, but Percy keeps at it, tilting his head slightly to get at a better angle, a hand cupping my cheek. A slow warmth spreads through my core, warming every inch of my soul.

Percy pulls back, face flushed and lips deep red. He is slightly out of breath and looking incredibly embarrassed.

"I-I'm sorry, I thought that-" I yank on the collar of his shirt, greedily kissing away his words.

The kiss is dizzying and delightful, colors swirling under my eyelids. His fingers tangle in my hair, and he pulls me closer to him. My lips keep curling at the edges, and I have to force down the smile threatening to take over my face. But then I can feel his lips turning up slightly as he restrains a smile and suddenly it's all real, I'm really kissing Percy.

And it's perfect, everything about it.

Well, until the fire alarm went off.

We separate, breaths ragged and lips swollen. Our giggles are overshadowed by the screeching alarm, but that doesn't mean they aren't still there.

"We just can't catch a break, can we?" Percy laughs, kissing the tip of my nose before pulling me to my feet. "C'mon, we should get going."

We follow the hoards of people to the outdoors, everyone looking dead on their feet. I can only imagine what it must be like, three wake-up calls in two weeks, they must be exhausted.

Percy halts suddenly, pulling my lips to his once again, and I realize it isn't perfect in the traditional sense, but it's perfect for us, and that's good enough for me.

* * *

><p><strong>Done! Okay, so I had trouble with the ending, but overall, I like it. What do you guys think? Oh, and there may be a possible bonus chapter in the future, I haven't decided yet. So yeah, thanks for all the support!<strong>


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